The Thin Line Between Love & Hate
by MissMarvolo
Summary: Among the many twist, turns and misunderstandings, Draco's scorn for Hermione changes into hate. But will they realize that love and hate are two faces of the same coin? This story is NOT cliched FYI. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**THE THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE & HATE**

**Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I do not own any these characters, including THE hottie Malfoy weeps. JK Rowling does. Lucky ass. But yeah the plot is entirely mine. Yikes**

**A/N: This is my 2****nd**** shot at writing a fanfiction. I had started writing this other one, but after writing two chapters I did not receive a single review and thought well heck yeah, the story was going nowhere! I won't be updating much since I can only sit at the PC for a restricted time but of course, as soon as possible. Duh. I love fanfictions too. Oh nd yeah, I also will keep on "reading" fanfics so hah, u ppl hav to wait 4 updates. But u knw, i would always update faster if u ppl REVIEWD!**

_**Chapter One: Murmurs left unheard**_

Draco Malfoy carefully looked down at the bare spot on his bicep where the Dark Mark should have been. He had always wanted that coveted Dark Mark. But that could not happen anymore could it? The Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived had killed the Dark Lord. Ronald Weasley, his crony, had killed Pansy Parkinson, the girl who although had seemed like a clingy parasite to him before had recently caused feelings for her to rise in Draco. She had changed; less clingy and needy, and somehow a little smarter actually. But mostly, he loathed Hermione Granger.

The mudblood who killed his father in the Final Battle. And who _actually _killed the Dark Lord. Potter was just an impostor "Saviour of the Light from Darkness," or whatever fancy language the tabloids had described him in.

Draco's veins scathed with hatred and vengeance coursing through them. He would avenge himself...he would kill those three. And that was a pureblood's word.

Hermione Granger stretched out her limbs after a long sleep. Like the other Hogwartians, Hermione had joined the Higher Voluntary Education Program that Hogwarts had opened after seventh year. It was her fourth year and she was training to be an Auror. Hermione also had a bigger event to look forward to -- her wedding. Though Harry hadn't asked yet, Hermione was sure he would find the words soon. She was so in love in him! And she was more than sure than Harry did too.

Harry and Hermione had been together for four years now. After the Final Battle Harry had blurted out that he liked her, and Hermione had accepted with a long endearing kiss. This, however, caused Ron to break away from the Trio, since he himself had a soft corner for her. He now had had gone through two breakups and now had a girlfriend of two years, but he had yet to forgive his former best friends. Hermione did not get how he could hold something as silly as that against them for so long. Besides, he should have known better, Ron was never her type.

But was Harry?

Hermione dismissed the thought immediately. Of course Harry was her type, or else why would they fall in love with each other? And these thoughts had no bottom to them, so it was very futile thinking as such on such a happy and joyous background.

She was walking her way down the hall, when her past came crashing down on her mind. _Lucius Malfoy._

Hermione had to kill him. She still remembered the drops of blood spraying at her after she had mouthed the Killing Curse. The smell of death and murder had haunted her for days. But she had good reason to. Hermione Granger—the voice of practicality--would never even hurt—forget _kill—_something or someone without a logical reason. She had been tried in Wizengamot but after a week she was released, free of all charge.

She also remembered being at Harry's side and helping him kill Voldemort. Although people don't really know but she was the actual killer of Voldemort. Harry had just been playing captive, and since everybody saw him holding the wand while standing by Voldemort's corpse, or last Horcrux to be specific, people of course had taken him to be the hero. But although Harry really enjoyed the fame, Hermione did not really care. She was just happy that he was happy. And moreover, Hermione did not like the paparazzi pressure and all that—it was very stressing. Maybe some people were just not cut out for the limelight. _And who am I, to steal great Harry Potter's fame? He was always the one to deserve that, not me? I'm just a plain witch who killed Voldie by accident, _Hermione thought.

Hermione suddenly recalled having heard Draco Malfoy scream out "NOOOO" when she had killed Voldemort. Then she heard Lucius murmur to Draco, saying that the mudblood Granger had killed him when he had turned his back, and Ron had killed Pansy. Now as big a lie as that would be, Hermione knew it was pointless explaining to Draco Malfoy. In fact she would be a little scared now, if she had not been the bravest person in all of Hogwarts.

She was walking down the hallway when she saw him. Draco Malfoy. She felt sorry for the boy, but then again, she felt that he was better of not having a rapist as his father. Yes, Lucius Malfoy had tried to rape Pansy.

_NOOOO! Pansy screamed._

_Devil's hunger lingered in Lucius's eyes. But before he could commit the sin, Hermione shot the Killing Curse at him. The curse although was weak worked after some time. But in his dying state Lucius shot a Killing Curse at Pansy, calling her a traitor. Everything became clear as crystal to her. Pansy had been on their side all along. This again was confirmed by the last words of Pansy. Ron had his wand pointed at Malfoy for Hermione's defense, but it looked like being pointed towards Pansy._

Then a witnessing Crabbe must have reported this to Draco Malfoy, for whom Ron's uncommitted crime would have been confirmed.

Her thoughts snapped. Draco Malfoy was standing there, right there. He glowered like a hyena about to kill his prey. "You are going to pay for all, Mudblood," he hissed.

"But Malfoy—"

Malfoy raised a hand as a sign of dismissal. But the chill and scath of his voice had created such an impact on Hermione that she could not avoid a quick shiver. She quickly ran away from the place, and on to her Higher Arithmancy class.

_The mudblood again._

Draco smacked the dorm wall in frustration. How could the Mudblood live in such peace after killing his father and his Lord??

_Bitch._

Draco's mother, Narcissa, was in hospital. He assumed she could not take the shock of her husband's death. _Another reason to hate Mudblood._

He pulled on a cloak. Classes could go to hell. He would go to visit his mother.

Hermione was a total blunder in class that day. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but a twinge of guilt meandered through her heart. _I'm sorry Draco, but it wasn't my fault, _Hermione kept telling herself. But she knew she could never apologize to him on his face; he would not let her speak to him at all. Sometimes Hermione was scared. What if he took revenge?

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger!"

Hermione was snapped out of her reverie...daydream (_or day-nightmare, to be more specific,_ she thought) by Professor Vector's stern shout. _Vector seemed to have acquired quite a pitch of voice over the days, _she mused.

"All you feeling alright?"

"Yes Professor, indeed I am."

"I hope so, since you're the best and most attentive in Arithmancy and daydreaming is not likely of you."

At the compliment, Hermione blushed and was flattered. Everyone grunted. She heard somehow mutter _Give us some new information_ and someone else say _Bushy-haired ugly-shorty nerd. _

_Bushy-haired ugly-shorty nerd._

Most people could not see past that, could they, Hermione thought and was slightly put off. But she was lucky that Harry did, didn't he?

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? REVIEW! That little button is waiting...**

**And suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers will receive a cupcake and a lot of candies (I will make sure reviewers are honoured for their good taste in fanfics in my next chappie! D)**

**Next update would prolly be by May 20****th**** to the max. So cross ur fingers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Rowling does. But the plot is mine...MINE! MWAHAHAHA!!**

**A/N: So I updated way faster than I mentioned. But I still don't have a single review to help me keep going. What is wrong with you people? Thanks to cagedinsarcasm from though, for adding me to his/her story alerts. That really acts as an encouragement. But review, please?**

**My exams are near too, so wish me luck! And oh yes, I go by the same name in , and .**

Chapter 2: Revelations

Draco thoughts diffused through different sectors of his brain at the speed of a JetStar 8800 broom. At times he felt so useless and hollow; times like now. He remembered his last conversation with Pansy:

_Hey Draco, can I ask you something?_

_Go ahead._

_Do you love me?_

_Draco took a moment to think and answered._

_Yes, I do._

He was never going to have a conversation like that. He would never have to say those three words or never have to answer in affirmative to a question like that. Pansy. The girl he loved, he was very sure of that. His mother was paralysed in shock of his father's death. And his father, his role model—was dead. In the hands of a Mudblood. He knew very well that his father would have died in excruciating pain after a thousand powerful Cruciatus curses by a non Muggle-loving Pureblood than that. What was his fault anyways? Muggles had killed Draco's sister Lila, hadn't they? And two of the killers were none other than Dane and Abigail Granger.

Granger's parents.

Draco quickly diverted his thoughts elsewhere. There was work to be done...lives to be destroyed, revenge to be taken. And for that, planning had to be done.

Hermione trudged her way through the Great Hall into the Potions classroom. Suddenly, Harry crossed her way.

"Hey 'Mione!" Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her into a kiss, which he turned into a making-out session. The people in the Great Hall were appalled.

Hermione quickly broke away.

"What are you doing Harry?"

"Aw c'mon, can't I kiss my girlfriend now?"

Hermione looked a little disturbed, but then decided that it was a man's way to display love. Of course, she didn't know much about other men. Her history had been quite clear of that. And Viktor Krum had lasted for too short a time for their infatuation into love.

"Oh _fiiiine,_" Hermione said, "but I'm already late for Potions. Don't have time, Snape's going to kill me!" She rushed together.

"Wait then when can we meet again? Today?"

"Okay."

"9 pm?"

"Umm...isn't that too late?"

"Awh c'mon!"

"Fine."

Hermione hated Potions. Snape was still teaching that, much to her dismay. She dozed through the whole of the lesson and most disgracefully got twenty points deducted from Gryffindor. She had been in a reverie about Harry, The Boy-Who-Lived and the Man-Whom-She-Trusted-Blindly.

Hermione decided to take a walk along the lake for some time. Stress was beginning to build up on her again. Suddenly she heard a female voice.

_I've always loved you._

Hermione mused. It was one of those sweet talks couples regularly had along the lake. She turned and was about to walk away not meaning to eavesdrop when suddenly a male voice spoke up:

_I love you too, and no one else._

Hermione couldn't miss that voice through vacuum. It was Harry Potter.

Hermione ran as fast as she could, from reality...from betrayal. Tears streamed down her cheeks and meandered along her jawline, splashing down on her running feet and beneath. She rushed into a washroom, unknown of the fact that it was a boy's washroom.

She crashed down to the floor and wrapped her arms around herself. Burying her face into her hands, later she realized it was one of the most unused washrooms in Hogwarts. That's why even when she realized that it was a boys' one, she knew everyone as out for sports and no one would come here then.

She was sobbing uncontrollably. Hiccups and relentless tears stained her cheeks. She trusted him, and look what he did. Was she incompetent? Was she not good enough?

Her sobs drained the sound of footsteps approaching the washroom. Draco Malfoy stood at the door with his wand pointed at her, like a predator ready to kill his prey and tear it to shreds until nothing's left of it.

"Ah finally Granger," he hissed, "this will be for killing my father."

Hermione turned around, taken aback. Draco looked shocked.

Never had he thought he would live the see Granger cry.

"Oh sure go ahead!" Hermione screamed. Draco was even more shocked than he was.

"I said, go ahead! I've got nothing to lose goddamn it have I? My parents were killed by your dad and I killed him because he was trying to rape Pansy!"

"Never! Stop lying you Mudblood!"

"I'm not! But whatever it is, kill me!" And with that Hermione jerked her own wand out and pointed it at her chest. "Fine. I'll do it for you. Avada—"

Even though it would have made his work easier, for some unknown reason Draco pulled the wand away from her.

"What the fuck are you doing Granger?"

"Killing myself can't you see?"

"Why the heck—"

"I'm so useless!" And with that, Hermione burst out, crying.

Draco's memories reeled back. About ten years ago, Lila had said:

"_I'm so useless"! She screamed. "I feel like killing myself!"_

"_No Dilly don't die! Please? For me?" Seven-year old Draco had looked at her with tearful eyes and then wrapped his arms around his sister. She never thought of killing herself again...until she was killed._

She looked exactly like Lila. Out of impulse or what, Draco slowly wrapped his arms around Hermione and suddenly whispered, "Don't die...for me."

"What?! I killed your father Malfoy!" Hermione was flabbergasted at this sudden gesture of her archenemy.

"Why'd you do that Granger? Why'd your parents kill my sister? WHY?" Draco yelled out.

"Malfoy, believe me, I killed your father because he was trying to rape Pansy. And Pansy died because Lucius had already shot a Killing Curse before he died. And my parents never killed anyone. Lucius was the one who killed your sister as far as I know. She had been adopted by Narcissa, from a Muggle family," with that confirmation, Hermione gasped for air from being suffocated by the pause-deprived account she had just given.

Draco muttered a powerful Truth Charm and shot it at her, hoping wholeheartedly that she was lying. Hermione contradicted his hopes and repeated the same thing again.

"How'd you know all this?"

"Because, Malfoy, Lila was _my _sister."

"What?!"

Hermione sighed. "It's a long story. My parents had gone broke amidst an inflation of prices. They could not pay for both us children, and Lila at 11, being as considerate as she was, convinced my parents to put her up for adoption. Narcissa took her, but Lucius objected to call her family until she turned into a full-fledged Death Eater. Lila could never hate innocent Muggles could she? She had been Crucioed many times for her refusal, and one day in one of her secret letters to me she said Lucius might actually kill her that day. So I told my parents quickly and they rushed to the spot to find her dead at the point of Lucius' wand. They hadn't stopped crying for their daughter until their death." Hermione drew in a long breath and stopped.

Draco swiped his hands over his face and covered his mouth. "I cannot believe this," he said after a few moments.

"You should you know. I'm still under the spell."

"Oh."

"And Draco, one more thing."

"What?"

"In her last letter she had said that if I ever find her brother who was nothing less than a blood brother, I should tell him that Lila loved him more than herself."

Draco could not refrain himself anymore. He started to cry.

Hermione, not knowing what to do exactly, squeezed his hands and said, "I'm sorry Draco."

"I need some time alone," and saying that, Draco slowly drew his hands out of Hermione's and ran to his dormitory.

Hermione went to the spot where Harry had called her at 8. She was going to take revenge.

Hermione tiptoed to the spot and waited from behind a wall. Harry was already there. His face was adorned with a hungry sneer that Hermione thought was impossible to have ever crept up Harry Potter's face.

A day ago, Harry Potter was the altar of honesty. Today, he was a fallen angel—a vision of deception.

Hermione tried to look as calm and collected as possible. She smiled insecurely and walked up to Harry. Her feet trembled. _Don't fail me now, nervous feet. Be steady._

Harry immediately groped her into a forceful kiss. Hermione tried to respond normally, although she was pushed to the farthest line of repulsion. She had yet to see what the vile cheater was going to do.

"Let's close our distances Hermione..." Harry said in a voice that might have been seductive but sounded demon-like.

Harry did something Hermione could never imagine. He forcefully tried to reclaim her virginity but before that, Hermione had smacked him across the face.

"How dare you?"

"You suck Hermione! You're just a bushy-haired ugly short nerd!"

"Oh so you think that way too? Oh I'm so offended...NOT!"

In reality Hermione was offended to the core. Maybe she really was so. But right then, she couldn't let him know that.

Just then, Filch came in.

"Ah-ha! The-Boy-Who-Lived is it?"

Hermione faltered a little on her decision. Harry had, after all, been her best friend. What if this was a trap? What if he was under a Curse? But her dignity and sense of justice screamed out:

"Filch! He was trying to assault me!"

Harry was dragged off to Dumbledore by Filch despite his wailing protests. Even though Dumbledore did not believe all this, with evidences from Mona, Keyshia, Amelie and a lot others who Harry was multi-timing with accusing him of the same kind of assault in the past few weeks, he was forced to. Seeing no other option, Dumbledore had to expel him. Before he left, he only screamed,"You'll pay for this Hermione! And all of you too!"

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? REVIEW! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own this characters, Rowling does. Neither do I own the song "My Happy Ending" by Avril Lavigne, used in this chapter. But plot's all mine. And Scheroccees are my own creation too.**

**A/N: Okay guys...this is a horribly short chapter. Forgive me please. Studies are pressing down on me like crap and I really don't have much time. This chapter although is short is pretty eventful. It's a mark of how this story is NOT clichéd! But please people please...REVIEW!**

Chapter 3: Killing the Enemy

Hermione cried herself to sleep. Nothing helped. Her love was gone...and true love only came once. Why had Harry done this to her? Made her feel like his only love and then left her helpless when they had come so far.

_Bushy-haired ugly shorty nerd._

That's what I'll always be, Hermione thought. Maybe Harry didn't deserve me after all. Maybe I was incompetent, and will always be. She wanted people to see through her exterior... to value all the good things she was. But seemed like no one could...no one ever would. She still considered whether or not she had done the right thing turning Harry in. Everyone was so shallow...and Hermione's self-esteem had hit below rock bottom. Her life was a wreck, and she was lonelier than a hermit. She did not know where to go, or did not have a shoulder to cry on...or no guardian angel to be led by...or...

No one to love or be loved by.

And Draco Malfoy still sending her death glares didn't make things any better. He looked like he could kill her—not that it was unlikely and not that she would mind. His dagger-glares just made her feel even more worthless, guilty and incompetent.

Hermione knew she could never get over Harry. She loved him...she knew it.

_You were everything,_

_Everything that I wanted_

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it_

_And all the memories so close to me just fade away,_

_All this time you were pretending_

_So much for my happy ending..._

_It's nice to know that you were there_

_Thanks for acting like you cared_

_Making me feel like I was the only one_

_It's nice to know we had it all_

_Thanks for watching as I fall_

_Letting me know we were done..._

Draco had let his guards down once, not anymore. The Mudblood was lying! Maybe his spell hadn't worked properly. His dad could never have done all those things the Mudblood mentioned. True, Death eaters killed people, but only people who were disrupting order in the world. Only the Drak Lord knew how to rule the world properly. Muggles had their place in the world below everyone; they were monstrous...low...born when a group of traitorous witches and wizards as a riot in the early thirteenth century had intermingled with Scheroccees to give birth to a breed: Muggles.

_Gruesome mental images, _Draco thought.

But his father could never have _thought _about raping Pansy! That was just insane! His father was very decent, mannered and respectful towards women. And killing Lila...oh my god...she was his _own _daughter! There was no way what Hermione said about Lila being a Muggle was...bullshit.

And then again, Muggles were ill-mannered, greedy and filthy; forget about being loving and caring the way Lila was. Right?

So he still hated Granger. More than anything. And this time, he would not fail to kill her. He would finish what he started. He would not spare the Mudblooded life-devourer this time. She had eliminated his only source of care from this world—Pansy. Maybe she didn't kill her directly but she was involved.

He thought about Pansy again. Pansy had loved him truly. He had loved Pansy truly. Pansy had shown him true care...like Lila.

It _was _true, wasn't it?

Draco rushed off to the field. This was the time when all the Higher students were out, playing or enjoying the sunset. He looked for Granger. He knew his revenge wasn't exactly a plan.

It was life-taking.

He finally found Hermione in the washroom. _That washroom again._

She was crying again. _Makes her more vulnerable. _A budding guilt and confusion was overpowered by a paroxysm of vengeful feelings and rage. Draco Malfoy knew he had to do this. There was no backing out now. He was going to carry out a Death Eater's duty. Who cares if he wasn't one officially? He would turn into a full-fledged dark power and the whole world would recognize him...maybe he would bring the world back to its order...maybe...

But right now...

He pointed the wand at her: Avada Kedavra.

**A/N: I know you people want to kill me for this short chapter right now...but please REVIEW!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, Rowling does.**

**A/N: Hey people, be happy I'm uploading faster than I mentioned. So by May 15****th**** you can expect at least 6-7 chapters. But please, when you read my story please review; any suggestions, or what you like (or hate) about this story—anything. It helps. Thanks to the people who added my story to their story alerts though: cagedinsarcasm, crystalight22 and ****bRe IFLHP from ; but if you like my story then please say so in a review.**

Chapter 4: To Die or Not to Die

Draco saw Hermione's lifeless body crash onto the hard floor with a huge thud. With a relish at a completed revenge and a greater guilt, Draco ran out of the washroom and up into his dorm, and lay limp with a pretense to be sick on his bed. To be truthful, he _was _feeling sick. But he forced himself to go to sleep. Draco Malfoy did not feel guilty; especially not for killing his father's murderer.

Hermione saw Draco shoot the Killing Curse at her. She did not protest; she didn't want to live anyways. And to think her worst enemy would do her the biggest favour possible—emancipation from a life that was worse than lying in St. Mungo's as a fully paralysed person for years...

Madam Pomfrey put an Oxygen Spell on Hermione.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ron and Ginny asked in unison.

"Can't tell, dear. Although weak it was a Killing Curse after all. She might go through severe damage, including permanent paralysis."

Ron and Ginny looked tense.

"Now, dears, it's getting late. Go on to your dorms."

Ginny tried to say something at that when Madam Pomfrey raised her hand and dismissed her. "Miss Granger needs rest, Miss Weasley, and I hope you are intelligent enough to consider that."

Both redheads grunted and left the room.

Madam Pomfrey laid her head down on the table. It had been a long day. She hoped Hermione Granger woke up soon. There were things she needed to be informed about.

Before the first ray of the sun, Hermione woke up. _Am I in hell? _She wondered. She carefully examined the room, only to discover it was the hospital wing. Hermione got up with a grunt of disappointment.

The sound made Madam Pomfrey wake up with a startle. She had expected Hermione to wake up, but not so soon.

"Miss Granger, there are things you need to know," she said in an ominous voice.

Meanwhile, Draco had got up from sleep with a nightmare. It was about Lila, who was constantly accusing Draco of killing her Draco was protesting, and suddenly the figure transformed into Herrmione, who suddenly, like Lila in his nightmare, kept saying:

_I thought you loved me Draco._

That's when Draco had got up.Guilt and confusion clouded his brain. Had he believed Hermione to some extent?

Of course he didn't! There was no way he would believe all that junk about his father!

Yes, he would convince his confused self. He would go to St.Mungo's the next day and ask his mother, who had been slowly regaining consciousness over the last week.

"Miss Granger, you have to understand, you just survived a _Killing _Curse!" Madam Pomfrey said in an exasperated tone.

"But how?!" Hermione asked, equally countering Pomfrey's exasperation.

"Look, when someone survives the Killing Curse, it's because the attacker does not hate his/her enemy or in fact, loves the prey."

"What?"

"Yes. The range of feelings can be accurately identified by the time span for which the curse was acting temporarily."

"Ok then."

Hermione was damn sure this was either a misunderstanding, or Draco's wand had malfunctioned, or he believed her to some extent and that's why did not hate her entirely because she was his sister's sister (_Whew, that sounded weird! _She thought). No way did Draco Malfoy _love _her!

"You have been unconscious for umm...ten hours...hmmm...interesting." Madam Pomfrey commented after looking at a fat book with keen, squinted eyes.

"What is it?"

"Here, look at it yourself."

Hermione took nervous steps forward in fear of what might be the outcome she was about to witness. She looked at the cover of the book first, which said "Spells, Curses and EmotionalProperties: Knowledge Base". She knew this book. It was a book all healers used throughout the Magical World. The page Madam Pomfrey had pointed out said:

_The emotion harboured by the attacker towards the attacked can be distinguished by the time span of the Killing Curse's influence. They are as follows:_

_Partial or Whole Paralysis_:_ The attacker did not entirely hate the attacked, rather had scorn and despise in place with draft hate._

_Unconsciousness –_

_1 year: The attacker did not hate the attacked, rather he/she disliked the attacked very, very much._

_9 -11 months: The attacker did not hate the attacked but rather either attacked the person under an Imperius or almost hated the person for those few moments (Outburst of fury)._

_6-8 months: Same as the last one, but only he/she had scorn instead of hate for few moments._

_3-5 months: Same as the last one, but scorn was at a lower scale._

_1-2 months: The attacker is neutral towards the person. Attacked either under Imperius or a wish for revenge._

_2-3 weeks: The attacker in fact secretly likes the person a little bit. Attacking conditions same as last one._

_1-2 weeks: The attacker likes the person very much. Attacking conditions: Ditto._

_2-6 days: The attacker is infatuated and attracted to/likes the person very, very much. A.C:Ditto._

_1 day: The attacker is almost obsessed and infatuated with the person, or likes the person like a best friend would (in case of same gender or friendly feelings).A.C: Ditto_

_12 hours: The attacker is in between true love and infatuation for the person, i.e. a draft of true love in all cases. A.C:Ditto._

_10-11 hours: The attacker is unknowingly in love—true love with the person and the feelings are still in a budding state. A.C:Ditto._

Hermione did not read further; she did not have to. She was shocked and her thoughts were displaced haphazardly in her brain. _Like I wasn't already dizzy._

"Nonsense," she said.

"Would you care to tell me who this attacker was, in your case?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"No, I'd choose not to tell anyone."

"Fine then, I respect your privacy. But remember, the book is never wrong."

Hermione lay limp in the hard hospital bed. Madam Pomfrey had gone to sleep a long time ago, leaving her patient in a state of being caught up in circles of confusion. Another patient from a bed nearby was sneezing constantly in his sleep, much to Hermione's annoyance. Pomfrey had given her a Sedative Charm so that she was not stressed by her newly-discovered state for long, which could worsen her health. So she kept on thinking and calculating and trying to sum things up in vain, until finally she fell asleep after two drastically long minutes.

Draco was walking around in the corridors. Sleep did not seem to dawn upon his craving, disturbed mind. Suddenly, as he was crossing the hospital wing, he noticed the figure that lay asleep in a faraway bed scarily closely resembled of Hermione Granger. Upon examining carefully, he realized it _was _Hermione Granger after all.

_Maybe she's dead. But they really should remove corpses as fast as they can._

Then, to wipe away his misconception, the figure moved and turned on her back.

_Oh my god._

**A/N: Hah! A cliffy! That should teach you people how to review! The more you review, the faster I upload!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Plot's mine but the characters are Rowling's.**

**A/N: Ok...I LOVE MY REVIEWERS!! Angel 737 and crystalight22...you two rock. **

**Angel 737: Thanks a LOT for highlighting on the plot-hole. So I have decided that in Chapter 6, I am going to explain Harry's OOC behaviour. It seemed a cool idea to make Harry appear as the antagonist for once rather than the do-gooder he is. But yes, I'll make sure I explain it properly.**

**Crystalight22: Don't worry, I wish to keep the story T rated and I want to focus on the fact that love does not always need physical involvement to keep it kindled. So people who are hoping for smut...sorry! Now my question is...can I not mention them having a physical interaction (although basics will be there) at all? Please? Is that okay??**

**And I've got a bad case of writer's block weeps. I hope it gets well soon. Usually for me it doesn't last more than 2 days. Wondering why I can't just wait to write this chapter till then? I've got no time and my exams are nearby...my neck is breaking!! **

Chapter 5: Apologies

Draco could not bring himself to believe what he had just seen. Hadn't he killed Hermione Granger just last evening? His head began to go dizzy...

The next thing he remembered was being picked up by someone and being laid down on a hospital wing bed, where he lost consciousness completely.

When Draco regained consciousness, he turned, and the first thing he looked for is his uncommitted crime.

_Where the hell was Hermione Granger?_

Draco looked hellishly pale. What if Granger told everyone? He would be sent to...

_Azkaban._

Images of dementors and their "seductive" kisses flooded his mind.

_I don't want to die!_

He kept thinking thoughts of deaths when Granger came into the room

_The irony is that for once in my bloody life...I actually was waiting for her impatiently. Damn, my attention just increased Mudblood's potential popularity from minus to zero._

"Are you feeling better now, Miss Granger?" Madame Pomfrey inquired.

"Yes, Madam," she replied.

""Have you had your drink of water?" Madame Pomfrey asked again.

"Yes Madam," Hermione replied, this time a little more frustrated.

Madame Pomfrey sighed, and left the room. Apparently she had some work to do.

Hermione lay down on her bed next to Draco. Draco went white as sheet. Here was this girl whom he had tried to kill the day before today, and here she was, not even scheming to kill him that very instance. In fact...she was smiling.

_She's one weirdo, _Draco thought, _not that I'm complaining._

"Hey," she said.

"Uhh...hi," Draco said with a quivering voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Why aren't you killing me yet?!" Draco said this and immediately realized that he had told the lunatic sailor not to sink the boat. Again. Draco was too fraid to ask why _she_ hadn't been killed by the Killing curse, but he was death scared. Thant would kind of be like repeating the sinking-boat-lunatic-sailor mistake, and he had already humiliated himself enough with that heinous repetition. _A Malfoy repeating a vile mistake as that._

"Because I don't even want to live!" And with that, Hermione burst into tears. "It's so pointless!"

At that point Draco wished she'd rather kill him than cry. He was no good with crying girls. Crying girls confused him.

"Uhhh...ok, I'll...be back a minute!" And with that, Draco rushed off to the washroom.

But once he was in the library, a sudden kind of guilt—and _fear—_overcame his relief. Guilt was that he had left a broken person alone out there. Fear was that what if she killed him for being insensitive when she was in need of an emotional support? Or reported him off to Azkaban? She had a good enough reason to!

He quickly went out to find Hermione still sobbing.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know...I mean I lost everyone--_everyone. _There's no one there for me to love or to be loved by. And add to that I killed someone, however right the reason may have been." She started crying even harder.

Draco would have said something spiteful about how ugly of a Mudblood she was and how she should give up the idea of anyone even _liking _her, Draco refrained himself. He didn't want to be dead meat. Also, the topic of his father's death reminded him of his plans to meet his mother.

But, back to the situation at hand. There she was, a girl crying her eyes out and there he was, the uncrowned king of cold-heartedness. He decided to sit down beside her and try to comfort her.

"Care to tell me everything?"

"You see, firstly your parents killed MY parents."

"I don't believe that."

"Then I lost my sister."

"Don't believe she's your sister either."

"You know if you are here to pronounce ideas of your beliefs...say it to someone who cares."

"I was just trying to help Granger! What the effing hell is wrong with you, you insufferable bush-headed Mudblood??" Draco yelled with indomitable fury.

"Well you're not helping!"

"Fine then!" And with that, Draco dejected himself to his bed. Before Hermione had a chance to apologize, Draco gave off a signal of his slumber with long, rumbling snores.

After a long time, something like laughter bubbled in the bottom of Hermione's stomach. _To tink the Slytherin sex god "snores". Tsk-tsk. Major points cut off from his potential attraction score. Oh shit...did I just mention Ferret-boy and attraction in the same sentence? Kill me! Bad girl!_

Hermione then drifted off after a good (but not very loud) laugh to sleep. The peace and serenity from the rain after a long drought had finally blessed the land with uninterrupted slumber.

Hermione woke up after a long time. She looked around, just to see that her killer was no longer there. She felt a little bad at what she had said to him. He _was _just trying to help. However hard it might be for her, Hermione decided to apologize to him. Draco hadn't got his discharge yet, had he?

_So where was he?_

Draco Malfoy knew he had to do this. He had set an Awakening Charm after a specific time. He made sure Granger and the replacement for Pomfrey were fast asleep. Draco quickly took a cautious glance around and then left the wing through a secluded doorway. After reaching an area near the Whomping Willow where any magic performed was never detected by the authority for some reason or the other, he Apparated. His destination—in front of the gate of St.Mungo's.

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Review! My exams are getting of my nerves and I am in serious need of a time-out. I wrote half of this chapter when I had a writer's block and half when I had recovered, so forgive moi. Next chapter coming up in a day or two (hopefully).**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Plot: mine. Characters: Rowling's.**

**A/N: Chapter Six is here!! Thanks to my reviewer crystalight22. It feels good to be appreciated for a free-willed plotline.) But suggestions are always welcome, mind you. **

Chapter 6: And the Darknesses Come Crashing

"So you mean to say...all that Mudblood said was _true_?" Draco was shocked. Why didn't his mother tell her all this before?

"I'm sorry Draco. Your father tortured me inhumanly as a warning to what was to become of me if I ever disclosed anything to you."

Tears streaked down Draco's cheeks. The confirmation had made the world crash down on him. All the things—the Dark Lord, his idol of a father and hatred for Muggles—all these things that he had infinite faith in had backfired at him with a plethora of inconvenient revelations.

"Mom, tell me everything...it's time I knew."

"Where should I start son?" Narcissa asked in a feeble voice.

"I don't know," Draco said in a shaken voice marked with the flowing current of tears down his jaw.

"Your father had a fascination for baseless relationships with women, Draco. He was someone who used them and threw them in the trashed can like nothing." Narcissa's eyes began to water. Draco wondered how a person could live a married life with another person who was cheating on his spouse in the most loud, heinous way.

"As for Voldemort, dear, your father told you—sewed into you that he was going to bring back order and prosperity and justice with his rule. _Wrong._ Voldemort was so powerhungry he would have trampled your father, who was a most loyal ally, as the rung of a ladder to his ultimate reign. I tried to tell him this—I didn't want your father to die. After all, he was my husband," and with that, Narcissa burst into a spasm of uncontrolled tears. Draco quickly ran over, hugged his mother and tried to comfort her.

After recovering, Narcissa continued," Draco, Voldemort was just going to bring anarchy and chaos and deceptions for his people. Like about Muggles."

"But mother..."

"I know what your father taught you about Muggles, Draco. Erase all that. Muggles were simply normal people who were just not born with magic, but with a gift to make ordinary miracles."

Draco looked dumbstruck.

"And Muggles are very sophisticated, caring and _normal_, Draco. Look at your sister, Lila."

"So you mean to say..."

"Yes Draco. Lila was Hermione Granger's sister. And a Muggleborn. Was _she _all those things Muggles stand for to you?"

"No..."

Draco didn't say anything more. He simply left the cabin. He was now a man who had just seen light after a century of seclusion in darkness, where he had been told that light was nothing but disorder and filth. But now he knew that it was butterflies and rainbows and it was only the cave of darkness that he prisoned himself in that tainted the pureness. He was...enlightened. And the enlightenment locked his words away in his larynx.

Harry thought. _Evil, scheming, conniving thoughts._

Harry Potter, the defeater of Voldemort, was nothing but Voldemort's last resort to keep his anarchy alive in the world. In his last moments, he had departed a fragment of his soul, a Horcrux, and sent it off to an indefinite place. Little would he know that it would settle in the core of Harry's heart. It could arise the dormant greed and hunger for power—_evil—_in even a saint's heart. A little falter in strong belief in the essence of goodness and purity could transform the person wholly. Harry Potter was no exception. His mother could not save him this time.

The surviving Death eaters had already figured it out. They knew he was their only hope for darkness to take over.

"I'm a Death Eater at your service, Lord," the hooded minion spoke up.

"Good," hissed Harry Potter, narrowing his eyes into thin slits that expressed a kind of unearthly pleasure.

He was going to achieve what he could not for so long. _Power._

What had he achieved being the Boy-Who-Lived? After some days of Voldemort's death, everyone forgot about him.

_NO! _He had bolted out of his chair. He wanted supreme power...to rule the entire world. He would make things the way they should be.

He wanted to be King.

He deserved to be.

The sudden change in Draco surprised everyone. He no longer insulted Muggles.

"I'm sorry Granger."

"You're WHAT?"

"I'm sorry. For all the insults and humiliations...about you being a Mudblood. My sister was a Muggleborn and she was the most perfect person alive. I feel incompetent as a wizard," and with that, a solemn, noble and griefstruck Draco Malfoy left Hermione's sight.

One thing that infuriated Harry was that he wasn't even the one who killed Voldemort. Hermione had reclaimed the title, and all his momentary fame was just a mercy to the beggar by Granger. He still could not figure out why the prophecy had not come true. How did Hermione manage to do it? Suddenly she seemed to have been crowned with indomitable power.

This was not good. No one, except for Harry Potter, had indomitable power. Not even for a minute. He flashbacked the scene as it came to mind.

_You think you can kill me, Potter? Voldemort hissed._

_I don't think so, I believe so._

_Then take this..._

_With that, Voldemort uttered an unfamiliar incantation. Harry meanwhile tried to kill him with the Killing Curse, but nothing worked. Suddenly Hermione shot such a powerful Killing Curse that it diminished everything that was left of Voldemort and the person himself._

Little did anyone except for the Death eaters know that this was not true.

Harry was pleased that Voldemort was dead though, or else he would have to share his power. Supreme power was more preferable. But for his reign to begin, Harry needed a plan. He summoned a Death Eater.

"You called me, Master?" the Death Eater asked.

"Call me the Dark Lord," Harry hissed.

"As you wish," the Death Eater said, head bowed.

"Form a suitable army, but do not use our best frontiers. Start by killing and wiping off people from Hogsmeade and all those fancy merriments those fools have in there. My reign of darkness starts by terminating the source of silly _good_ things," Harry put on his Invisibilty Cloak and Disapparated. But before that, the death Eater could hear, "remember, failure is death."

**A/N: Like it or hate it, review. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Plot: mine. Characters: Rowling's.**

**A/N:Thanks a lot to all my reviewers. Oh btw, I have slightly edited the story and put in finer details but I could not put the segment breaks yet. Could you please put up with that for now? And also, I want more and more people to read this story. Help?**

Chapter 7: A Closer Look at You

Draco stared blankly at the shimmering water of the lake. These emotions...all bottled up in him...he needed to release them. But where?

So all that Granger said was true. Why didn't anyone tell him before? Did they not trust him? Did they think he wasn't strong enough to handle it?

For the first time in his life, Draco felt incompetent.

Lila was a Muggleborn. All these years, Draco thought Muggles were the worst class of being who harboured barbaric qualities and Granger and the other Muggleborns were under the administration of a potion to conceal them. Now he knew that Purebloods actually could be more barbaric than Muggleborns. And Muggleborns were nothing but a normal breed of people without inborn magic, but an effort to make magic themselves.

Granger's parents were innocent.

Voldemort's ideas were just to create anarchy. Nothing to deal with order. Well, there was no need for order now that he knew the truth about Muggles. Everything was in a perfect state. Except for his life.

All that he believed in. All the causes he worked for. They had dissolved into thin air. Everything was a fake illusion.

Tears flowed freely down Draco's cheeks. The blank stare in his eyes stood still at the shimmering water as a tornado of thoughts whirled through his pensive mind.

And from the background, someone was watching this carefully.

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Hermione Granger carefully watched as the fresh tears flowed down Draco Malfoy's cheeks. She never knew Malfoy was capable of such a thing as display of emotions. She faltered whether or not to, but finally she coughed to let her presence be known.

Draco got startled. He quickly made a vain attempt to effectively wipe away all the tears, but Hermione softly pressed his hand down.

"It's okay Malfoy. People cry at times," Hermione said.

"Err...Granger...you think you can forgive me for all the years? When I used to make your life a hell by calling you Mudblood?"

A surprised Hermione replied, "Sure, as long as you don't do it again."

A melodious silence fell between them. The winds whooshed past them and Hermione frizzy hair got ruffled over her face. She made a crazy effort to fix it but ended up beating around all over her face. Draco started chuckling.

"What?" Hermione asked in an annoyed and frustrated tone.

"Nothing."

"No...WHAT??"

"You look so silly!!" And with that, Draco started laughing his head off. _A real laugh, _Hermione thought. _He almost looks normal. And adorable. Wait...what am I saying?! Stupid me!_

"Well, don't I look silly all the time? With the bushy head and nerdy image and all?"

"Huh? What are you saying Granger?" Draco looked slightly confused and hit by a club on the head.

"Nothing." Hermione felt like killing herself for disclosing her insecurities to her enemy. _Whoever would ever do that?_

"Look Granger, if Pothead ever said something like that and you're whining because of that, forget it. He's a born loser."

"That was a very hollow try Malfoy. Not helping at all." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I never said I wanted to make you feel better, did I?"

"Gosh, you're weird."

"I'm sophisticated. And regal. Sophisticated people aren't weird."

"Riiiiiiiiiight. As if. Flatter yourself, Malfoy."

"I will, 'cause I know I am."

"You're blind. And you need a mirror."

"Firstly, I'm not the one calling myself ugly. Secondly, sophisticated isn't related to mirrors. IT comes from the inside. Not something you can see in mirrors."

"So you just agreed you're ugly?"

"Huh? Oh wait...NO! You're evil!"

"Coming from the mouth of Malfoy, whew didn't _that _sound weird!"

In their process of duelling, none of them realized they were making each other feel better. Draco had slowly been distracted from his depression and Hermione from her self-lowering session.

"Now...why did you say that about yourself Granger? I thought you had a very high self-esteem. Stuck-up, should I say."

"I do have a high self-esteem! And I'm not stuck-up!" Hermione huffed and said at the two-way insult. He had insulted and offended her in both ways, so that whichever one she defended, the other insult still applied.

"Doesn't seem like you do," Draco replied.

Hermione, even though feeling a little let down, simply asked,

"Why am I telling you all this, Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged.

"Sometimes we just harbour our trust into the most unlikely person, hoping for an unlikely result of him or her keeping it secret."

"So do I expect an unlikely result form you or not."

"Normally I wouldn't (Hermione grunted), but now if you give me an unlikely result I will too."

"As in?"

"Me crying."

"Whoa. You know Malfoy, I didn't even think about using that against you...until now." Hermione gave an evil smirk.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Nice work on the smirk. Didn't expect anything even close to evil from you. Now listen, if you disclose my secret I'll disclose yours. Get it? So it's even."

"Uh-huh," Hermione said.

"I still don't get why you're so pissed at yourself."

"I don't know. That's what people always view me as and nothing else."

"So?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly. What will happen after people think you're all that? You want boyfriends? Never thought you as the slutty type Granger. Tsk-tsk." Draco said in a very amused tone.

"Ughh! What'd you know you always date sluts!"

"Pansy was more than a slut to me." With this, Draco look put off and the glow from his face disappeared. Hermione's heart dropped to her feet at what she had done.

"Umm...I'm sorry Malfoy."

"Oh wait. So you mean to say you want _me _to like you Granger?" Draco said in a seductive tone and quirked his eyebrows flirtatiously. The glow in his face had returned.

Surprisingly Draco realized that in Granger's company, he was able to set thoughts of Pansy aside and move on.

"You are impossible you insufferable brat!"

"Oh yes, that...I am."

"Anyways I have to go. And you better not flatter yourself Malfoy."

Hermione left with a bounce in her steps.

And Draco was left with a bucket of surprises.

_I was happy with her._

_How could I forget Pansy? I love her!_

_Do I?_

_Maybe not._

_What am I saying? Of course I do! You can't forget true love._

_But Granger was all that you imagined a perfect woman to be._

_No! It's Pansy!_

_It's not!_

_It's not Granger._

_Maybe it is._

_Oh my God. I'm insane._

**A/N: So what say? Is the story good? I wrote this chapter through a plethora of mental crises...so don't know how it turned out to be. But maybe you can make me feel better by reviewing. Do that? Please pretty please?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Plot's all mine, characters are Rowling's.**

**A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers as again. And here's Chapter 8 for you. This chapter, mind you, is no Dramione interaction. No disappointments please. Chapter 9 is going to clear up why the Harry Potter incident was kept a secret. **

**And one more thing. I need votes: How often should I include fluff scenes henceforth (I repeat, fluff. NOT smut.)? Please suggest in reviews.**

Chapter 8: The Dark Lord Rises

That morning, the staff of Hogwarts was in a haphazard commotion. All the Professors had drops of sweat in the folds of the skin on their foreheads. Some people from Ravenclaw were crying with no bounds, others looked as white as paper. Hermione, though, had no idea what was going on.

Ron Weasley spotted the clueless Hermione, and knew that it was a great opportunity to make conversation with her.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said.

"Uhh...hey," Hermione replied, a little startled why Ron was talking to her with such interest after so long.

"Guess what happened."

"Yeah...that was pretty much what I want to know too."

"This girl, called Mona Wylerwood, was found dead. Brutal death. In the library. And Madam Pince too."

Hermione gasped. _Mona Wylerwood...the girl who gave evidence against Harry._

No, it couldn't be.

Ron continued, "And they found a note beside her saying 'It's time all of you who spoke against me died. I won't go for the kind of assault I went for last time. The Dark Lord knows better than time-wasting tasks as such.'"

Hermione wince a little. _Isn't Voldemort dead?_

"I know what you're thinking 'Mione. That's what they are worried about too—if Voldemort is alive, that is."

Hermione tensed on her lower lip, chewing it until it turned bloodshot red. What did all this mean? A series of confusions clouded her mind.

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Draco thought about what he had witnessed some days ago in Dumbledore's office. He knew the real story behind Harry Potter's disappearance. People tried to cover it up by saying that he had suddenly transferred to a training school elsewhere.

Who knew Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Was-To-Be-Worshipped-on-the-Altar-of-Innocence would do such a thing?

Then again, who knew his father would do the same thing too?

Things were not always as they seem to be.

Then suddenly, he was snapped out of his thoughts by the raucous noises downstairs. _What just happened?_

He tried to catch bits of conversation of the other people. Sure, he could just have let Crabbe and Goyle see him and tell him the whole thing, but then again—they got on his nerves, those cronies!

What he could decipher out of the ramblings is that a girl called Mona Wyler-something from Ravenclaw was found brutally murdered yet without a sign of blood in the library, and so was Madam Pince. They apparently also found this note signed by the Dark Lord (_say what?!) _which said something about him no longer committing the same kind of assaults as last time.

The Dark Lord part spelled a Voldemort who was still alive. The second part spelled...

Harry Potter.

_Before he left, he only screamed,"You'll pay for this Hermione! And all of you too!"_

The sudden recalling echoed in Draco's head and drummed on since. He was as confused as any of the other Hogwartians.

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Dumbledore had his eyes shut, while tapping his forehead with tense fingers. McGonagall simply paced back and forth along the surface of the office floor.

"Albus, what are we going to do? Tomorrow this will be on the Front Page of the Daily Prophet and we'll have Wylerwood's parents calling in. Not to mention this also poses danger to our students." McGonagall said in an anxious voice, rushing out everything at once.

"For the first time I am very sorry to say that I am clueless, Minerva," Dumbledore said, in an indeed defeated voice.

"Could it be that Voldemort really _is _alive, Albus?" this time, the anxiety in McGonagall's voice was replaced by fear.

"I don't know, Minerva, truly. Voldemort should be dead as far as I know. Then what is this note signed by the Dark Lord? Could it be an impostor?"

"Even if it is, Albus, he is still equally dangerous. He already took two lives don't you see? Who knows how many more lives he is going to take? What if the whole Hogwarts population of in jeopardy?" McGonagall stomped the desk more in frustration than in proof of point.

"Call the staff for a meeting, Minerva. Serious security measures need to be taken. And call the Order in my office. This evening. The Order's functional again."

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Hermione kept the wheels of her mind whirring. _Who could it be?_

She was still sceptical about the whole Voldemort being alive explanation. She killed him. Herself. And there was no way he could have lived after _that._

Hermione still did not know how she had accomplished that task. An indomitable power had surged through her veins. With full force, she had pointed her wand at Voldemort and shouted the Killing Curse. Bright emerald beams, combined with streaks of passionate red and royal purple shootng out into a spectrum, burst out of the tip of her wand. And after that...all that was left of Voldemort was smoke and thick air. Harry had looked at her, awestruck, surprised that his task had been performed with such valour and perfection and even more surprised when she had let him take the credit. He had so badly insisted upon letting her take it herself, but now everything seemed like utter charade to Hermione. She had left upon trusting him anymore at all. And now all that bothered her was the risk of her life.

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Draco Malfoy walked around the corridor that night. Insomnia was riding on him again, and however hard he tried, sleep would not dawn upon him. He decided that he would visit a good Healer in St.Mungo's the next time he went to visit his mother.

He was yawning away in vain when suddenly—

He heard a distant scream.

Draco followed the echo and found himself at the end point of an abandoned Hogwarts corridor. He took support of the lights of the lanterns hung on the walls and moved forward slowly. He felt something soft and fleshy and cold under his bare foot—

A corpse.

Draco gasped. Its eyes were popped out in horror, mouth open slightly and its body had turned blue. But no blood. He found a note beside the dead body: "This is just the beginning. I love neat, spotless deaths. Wait till you see more from the Dark Lord."

The same Dark Lord again.

He tried to identify the corpse and lit his wand with a _Lumos_, to find out it was Keyshia Glengabier from Gryffindor. Another girl who had stated evidence against Harry Potter.

_Oh my God, _Draco thought, _Harry Potter is the Dark Lord?!_

Just then, someone screamed out from behind. A sixth year from Gryffindor.

"It's Malfoy! Malfoy's the killer!"

**A/N: Like it or hate it, REVIEW! PLEEEEEAAAAASSSSE! I'm being a good author updating so fast...have some gratitude dearests!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Characters: Rowling's. Plot: mine. Lyrics: "Someone Special" by Poets of the Fall.**

**A/N: So...I uploaded both Chapters 8 and 9 in the same day. I tried to make this chapter as good and up-to-the-mark as possible. Lot of effort applied. So please, review and tell if I succeeded.**

This is the longest chapter in the whole story! Appreciate!!

Chapter 9: Under Suspicion

"But I didn't!" Draco protested.

"I saw you!" Michael McMahon, the sixth-grader Gryffindor, retorted.

The Professors came running, woken by the shouting.

"What's happening?" Professor Sprout asked.

"Professor, Malfoy; Malfoy's the killer!"

Everyone gasped. Draco looked aghast.

"You see Professor, he's trying to eradicate Mudbloods! He's always hated them!"

Since everyone knew this, they thought that this was most likely the killer.

"We have to send him to Azkaban," Professor McGonagall sternly commented.

"But I didn't do it! I was walking in the corridors—"

"At this time of the night, Mr Malfoy?"

"I have insomnia!"

"What a made-up excuse!" Michael snorted. "I saw you point the wand at her and shout Avada Kedavra!"

Draco was flabbergasted. Why was the kid making up stuff against him? He winced a little, and before he could protest any more, he was dragged off to Dumbledore's office.

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Hermione Granger was woken up from her sleep. Slightly annoyed, she realized that she was being called to Dumbledore's office. She couldn't understand what could be so urgent and important that she would be called for at this time of the night. With escalating curiosity, she hurried dpwn to Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Sorry to disturb you at such hour."

"It's okay Professor, it must be something urgent."

"It is."

"What happened, Professor?"

"Miss Granger, I hope you remember how you had requested that the Harry Potter incident stay a secret."

"Yes Professor. In no way should I forget that."

"Well now, Miss Granger, I think I have figured out who this Dark Lord who has been killing Hogwarts student is. It's Harry Potter, I'm sorry to inform."

Hermione looked like she had just dropped from the sky. Although she did not trust Harry anymore, it would still take a hundred blows on the head to believe that Harry was the new Terror after Voldemort.

"But Professor—"

"I know, Miss Granger, you are not ready to believe this. But last night we found Keyshia Glengabier dead. Does the name remind you of anything?"

Hermione squinted her eyes and tried to put two and two together. Keyshia...evidence against Harry...Mona...evidence against Harry...both dead in two consecutive days...

Suddenly, everything made sense to Hermione.

"Oh my God," Hermione gasped, and covered her mouth. She felt a little shaken, and collapsed into a chair.

Dumbledore handed a bar of chocolate to her. "Here, have this. I know that right now your mind might not be in a perfect state to hear more, but I must say; there's more for you to be informed."

Hermione looked up at him, hoping with all heart that this was not as bad as what she just heard.

"A sixth-grader Gryffindor called Michael McMahon accuses Draco Malfoy of being the murderer. Now since the news has spread like fire, everybody thinks it's him due to his publicized hatred for Muggleborns and both the victims coincidentally being Muggleborns too. Do you think it could be him?" Dumbledore asked with eagerness and anticipation. Somehow, Hermione sensed that Dumbledore did not _want_ Harry to be the killer, considering how he was a favourite and how Dumbledore had always harboured a paternal emotion for the particular boy. Although now he had stooped low in Dumbledore's eyes, Hermione knew how hard it was to eradicate strong feelings completely.

But then again, Hermione could not help but disappoint Dumbledore. "I'm afraid it cannot be, Professor. And I say this based on some things I have collected lately."

Only Hermione knew that Draco malfoy had gone through a paradigm shift and he no longer hated Muggleborns. Thus it became completely impossible for such thing to be done by him.

Dumbledore sighed in disappointment. "Fine then, Miss Granger. Are you sure you are not saying this just for your own personal causes?"

At first Hermione did not catch that. Then she knew what he was hinting at—vengeance. "No, Professor. I wouldn't stoop so low," she confirmed and assured.

"But then, Miss Granger, all the teachers are standing for sending Mr Malfoy to Azkaban. And I cannot prevent that since I cannot disclose the true story as you have bound me to secrecy."

Hermione stood horrorstruck. She was clueless what to do. On one spectrum stood the reputation of her and her former best friend, and one another stood the life of an innocent in stake. But as per usual, Hermione let her voice of reason dominate her voice of heart.

"Then, I should dare say, Professor, the truth must be revealed."

"Are you sure, Miss Granger?"

"Absolutely, Professor," Hermione replied with a broken smile, and walked out of the office.

Hermione decided to visit Malfoy. After all, she was the reason why he was stuck in all this.

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Michael McMahon smiled slightly away from everyone. Although his conscience stung a little, he just decided to use some Butterbeer for that. Until then, he rejoiced in his victory. He was very disappointed when Voldemort died. He thought there was no way he could be a Death eater now. Now...there was. He was a part of the Rising Force...The Army of Chaos and Anarchy. And nothing was more beautiful and tranquil and serene than chaos, bloodshed and anarchy. He smirked a little, and then shut his eyes to put full concentration into performing a Telecommunication Charm. He had to inform his Lord—the Dark Lord.

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"You've worked well, McMahon."

"My pleasure, Master."

"You will get your reward. Once the war is won you will get the highest seating in Wizarding society."

Michael's eyes twinkled at the words. _Power...yes...finally..._

"Now I shall go. If I need you again I shall summon you."

"Very well, Master."

Harry Potter chuckled in delight. Now Draco Malfoy could be pestered for what _he _did. He remembered the first time he contacted Michael. At first the boy wouldn't agree thinking it was a hoax, but then he assured him with the first murder. He liked the boy...clever wolf.

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Hermione tiptoed to Filch's office, where Draco was being questioned by Ministry Officers flooding in to Hogwarts every few minutes. She realized that talking to a person guilty as charged would not be legal, so she crept in with a temporary Invisibility Charm. The guard sensed an entrance and hauled his wand out, but then Mrs Norris meowed, making it look like it was just a cat.

What Hermione saw before her was absolutely shocking. Draco Malfoy had been beaten to pulp. Guilt rose to surface in her. _He isn't even that bad a person!_

"Hey, Malfoy," Hermione said softly.

Draco jumped. "Who's talking?" he asked in a pretty audible voice.

Hermione quickly covered his mouth tightly. "Sshhh...It's me. Hermione."

Gosh, his lips feel good and warm and soft...WHAT AM I SAYING?! You suck Hermione!

"Oh. It's you. Granger," Draco said, trying to fake a look of disappointment but somehow he was failed drastically to pull off the farce. Hermione stifled a giggle.

"How are you feeling? "she asked in a concerned voice.

"How do you _think _ I am feeling?" Draco said in an agitated voice, while the same pointing at his bruises. "Honestly Granger, you need a meal of scrambled mutton brain everyday. Maybe that will help fill up some of the empty space behind the 'I'm-the-best-student-look-at-me face'!"

Hermione decided Draco was in a pretty bad mood. Of course, the boy was just beaten up!

"I'm sorry...I should have known better."

The apology softened Draco's expression and relaxed his jaw muscle. "No...I guess I am sorry. I shouldn't have screamed off at you like that."

"Yeah, that you shouldn't have done!" Hermione said, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

Draco sighed. "Sooo...what do you want?"

"Erm...nothing."

"You came just like that?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah...just like that."

"Starting to care about me, are you, Granger?" Draco said playfully with dancing eyebrows.

Behind her airy demeanour which Draco couldn't see, but maybe could feel the radiating warmth of her cheeks, Hermione blushed furiously. "Flatter yourself," was all she managed to say.

"Oh you don't have to tell...I am waaaay better than Potter. Can't blame if you actually fall for me." Draco said.

"I guess," Hermione's smile faded a little. Draco felt like smacking himself on the head for saying that. 

Stupid Draco! If I could see her I'm definite I would witness a sad forlorn face.

"Umm...Granger?"

"Yeah?"

"I know what happened between you and Potter. And why he is actually not in Hogwarts.

Hermione lost composure for a moment. _How does he know?_

"That day I kinda saw and heard everything in Dumbledore's office. I also figured out that he's the Dark Lord," Draco bit his lower lip and awaited Hermione's answer.

"Then why didn't you protest using that fact when they accused you of being the Dark Lord? Why didn't you just reveal everything?" Hermione asked with a keen look.

Now it was Draco's turn to lose composure. _True...why didn't I?_

Draco had never been this confused. What had stopped him from saying everything?

"I dunno...you had requested Dumbledore not to tell anyone...because you still cared about Harry...and you thought this was going to ruin your rep...but honestly Granger, everyone would understand this was not your fault!

She still cares about Potty. Wait...am I jealous? No I'm not, I don't care! But I do...why?? No. I don't.

Hermione thought a bit. Then she decided upon whether or not to say it but finally did.

"Starting to care about me, are you, Malfoy?" Hermione said playfully, trying to imitate Draco's dancing eyebrows.

Hermione never thought she would live to see the day...but she saw Malfoy blush furiously through his smooth, not-so-pale-anymore skin.

"You look so silly with that eyebrow thing!" Draco snorted and tried to change the topic.

Hermione had expected something like "Don't flatter yourself you're an ugly short bushy-haired nerd" sort of retort, but she was surprised when she didn't.

"How come you didn't call me ugly and short and nerdy and all those things you'd love to say?"

"That's stupid. And demeaning. And not true." Draco bit his tongue. Shit. I just called her beautiful. She is...but...oh my God I'm out of my mind. What the hell was I thinking?!

"Ohk..." Hermione said. She felt Draco's discomfort and changed the topic.

"So...why did you hand yourself over Malfoy? You're gonna die!"

"Look, I weighed both sides. My life is pretty pointless. No one to care about, no one to be cared by. It's just Mom. But I'm just going to be a burden to her too. No one would give a shit if I died."

"I would you Squid!" Hermione covered her mouth, horrified. _Bloody.hell. What did I just say??_

Draco looked extremely surprised and raised both eyebrows. He almost looked like he could fall off the chair.

"What?!"

"Umm...nothing. Never mind that. Continue."

Draco looked sceptical. After some time, he continued. "You see, as I was saying, no one cares and it's better if I die."

"Die rather than sinking my wish?" Hermione felt...flattered.

"Not really," Draco lied. _No more slips of tongue. No way. _"I rather wanted to die. Who cares?" Draco shrugged.

"Stop mimicking me, okay? You've got good reasons to live. You have friends and all."

"Uh-huh. If you say so."

"Whatever. You can find one."

"Uh-huh."

'What's with monosyllabic replies?" Hermione seemed annoyed.

"Nothing!" Draco looked amused.

Suddenly, the bruises on Draco's arms and face seemed to sting Hermione. _Why??_

She quickly spotted a glass of water. "You gonna drink that?"

"No. It's stinky. Seems like coming from the Ministry's sewer."

Hermione looked at the perfectly clear water and twitched her mouth. "The mighty Malfoy. Won't drink common water. Has to be rinsed with detergent from Persia before drinking." She rolled her eyes.

"Well put, Know-It-All," Draco said sarcastically.

She decided not to pay heed and put a Freezing Charm on the water. Draco mused why. Then she took the ice out, which landed with a plop on her palm. Hermione shuddered and made a retreating movement at the sudden biting cold. To Draco's surprise, she gently pressed it on Draco's facial bruises. Draco gasped and shuddered at the contact. _Maybe it's just the ice. Maybe._

"Why do you care so much, Granger?" Draco asked in an intoxicated, unearthly voice.

"You got into all this because of me. I owe you. But don't worry. I'm going to tell everything to the Ministry."

"You sure?" Draco asked, still in a trance.

"Yeah. Now I gotta go. Keep applying the ice. It's helpful."

Draco was a little disappointed, not knowing why. But he still said, "Bye, Granger."

Hermione crept out of the room carefully. Draco felt her footsteps fade away. Then both dived into a reverie, accompanied with a blissful smile on the face of both.

Draco simply sank into the hard wooden chair as if it were a cushiony couch, too numbed by the tornado of emotions whirling through him.

I love Pansy.

High time I stop believing that.

I love Pansy.

But I like Hermione's company.

I love Pansy.

That was infatuation.

I love Pansy.

I love Hermione caring about me and the way she talks. She's perfect. And she's natural. And real.

I love Pansy.

I don't even know what love is. But it's most likely what I feel for Hermione.

I love Pansy! UGHH!

No I don't. I forget about her. And honestly, I actually blush at the thought of liking Hermione! And I got jealous when I thought she cared about Potter.

I.LOVE.PANSY. I don't get over true love. And see, Hermione likes Harry. Don't stand a chance. Wait. I just agreed to the fact I like Hermione!

That ain't true love. True love is what Hermione has caused you to feel. And she doesn't. Don't worry. And you turned yourself in for her. I have to face it; I care.

I've fallen for Hermione. Oh my Gosh.

Draco squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to confuse himself anymore.

On the other end of Hogwarts, Hermione was on her way to the room where the Ministry officers were sitting. Dumbledore's office again, to be exact. She felt like being carried off in a whirlwind of thoughts.

I like Draco!

But I love Harry!

No I don't! I just still maybe care about him as a friend!

Maybe...

See? I loved it when Draco indirectly said I was beautiful!

Maybe...

And he pretty much turned himself in for me! That was so sweet!

Maybe...

And he's deep. He's real.

But he's "Malfoy"! I used to hate him.

Exactly. Red circle around the past tense. Used to, not anymore. And I know very well that he's changed.

Maybe...

And I cared that he was hurt!

Maybe...I like Draco. Oh my God.

Hermione jerked back to reality. Shutting up the voices inside her head, she proceeded on her journey to Dumbledore's office. Things needed to be arranged the way they should be...truths needed to be revealed...ignorance needed to be eliminated...innocents needed to be saved...love needed to be nurtured.

And they both lay limped by their thoughts, not realizing they felt for each other what legends murmured about...rose petals smelled of...

Their heartbeats in a same rhythm...singing the same song...feeling the same emotion...beating for each other.

_I wake up to the sound of rain upon my sill  
Pick up the pieces of my yesterday old thrill  
Can I deliver this used up shiver  
To how I pronounce my life  
And I leave it up to faith to go by its own will_

Back row to the left, a little to the side  
Slightly out of the place  
Look beyond the light, where you'd least expect  
There's someone special

A foggy morning greets me quietly today  
I smell a fragrance in the wind blowing my way  
And ever further I run to find her  
I yearn to define my life  
Placing my faith in chance to meet me in half way

Back row to the left, a little to the side  
Slightly out of the place  
Look beyond the light, where you'd least expect  
There's someone special

And she's here to write her name  
On my skin with kisses  
In the rain, hold my head and ease my pain  
In a world that's gone insane

Back row to the left, a little to the side  
Slightly out of the place  
Look beyond the light, where you'd least expect  
There's someone special...

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Plot, mine. Characters, Rowling's. Song lyrics: Carnival of Rust by Poets of the Fall. Check it out the song's amazing.**

**A/N:Guys...I'm SO SORRY for the delay! After completely screwing up my exams, I hope you people forgive me and help me feel better with your reviews, okay? Short chapter, I know, but I'm BACK!!**

Chapter 10: Saving the Innocent

Hermione was a little flustered from her conversation with the Ministry officers. Questions after questions...like there was no end to it. But she was just happy that all this was going to save Mal—Draco.

_Who told you this?_

_Do you have evidence?_

_Does the accused have anything to do with the victim? Past experiences?_

_Why would he do it?_

_Why are you stepping up for him, young lady? Amorous favours? Then we might as well consider this a partiality to take your words in account._

The last two questions, aimed deftly by the Ministry, were what had really unnerved her. She was scared...scared of her own feelings. She was falling deeper and deeper in this pit of imbecile, fool like, unreasonable, pathetic, amazing feeling. _What is this stupid feeling anyway?_

For then, Hermione just contented herself with this line she had once read in a Muggle book:

_The heart does things for reasons that reasons cannot understand._

Draco Malfoy. Professional heartbreaker. One-night stander. Shallow. _Malfoy._ Evil. Rude. Arrogant. Disrespectful. Incapable of human feelings such as sympathy, forget THE feeling of the divine deities—love.

Or so she thought.

Hermione could not believe this. This guy had absolutely nothing that could possibly appeal to her. Heck, he was the epitome of human blunderings and flaws! _Where is my voice of reason??_

Yet she liked talking to him. She liked the way he wasn't afraid of making goofy mistakes and fooling around hr anymore, and how he would grin stupidly after each mistake. _So not like Malfoy. Almost human, actually._

She had started to trust him beyond infinity. _Now that, woman, is a vice._ Hermione groaned. She had already had her share of betrayals; she didn't want to repeat the same mistake anymore. They talked about everything—even Quidditch. Draco had caused her to look at the sport through a positive eye and now that she did, she even liked flying...especially with him on the broom as well. _But he isn't my type!_

_But she isn't my type! _Echoed from the other end of the hall. Draco Malfoy was being released, but he didn't even care. The guards were indeed surprised by his indifference.

So here we leave these two pathetic beings, so far away from the realization that no one is born with _types, _but from a choice of about everyone they hopelessly fall in love with one. That is maybe one of the most sought-after mysteries of God, the whole process.

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Harry Potter looked through blood-red eyes. _Why am I becoming like this? _

_No...I have to end this before something really wrong happens._

He picked up his wand, pointed it at his own chest. _I'm doing this for good._

But his face scrunched up again. Once again, humanity had let the demon inside him win. One of the biggest misconception humans have is that good always wins over evil. Only when a world full of good united, only then did it stand a chance against the all-consuming evil. And here we are talking about the goodness of one teenage boy against the evil of the Dark Lord.

Harry fell limp on the cold floor. For a split second, everything went as dark as the world after a nuclear fission. Then, two eyes that belonged to the same sockets but no longer to the same people shot open.

"Bring her here," he hissed through gritted teeth, and a gradually growing, eerie sneer.

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Hermione sat along the bank of the lake, dangling her feet about in the water. The cool blue western sky seemed to burst into rage as the sun was setting. _That's exactly the state of my heart, _Hermione thought. She had always done the right thing, hadn't she? So she was supposed to fall for the good guy...like Harry Potter. She dismissed the name pretty quickly. He wasn't to be counted a "good' guy anymore.

So why Draco Malfoy, the...

_Badass?_

Why was he the one to be setting her heart ablaze? Why did his voice send shivers down her spine? Why did his presence freed all the butterflies of the world and set them to fly around in her stomach? For once, Hermione found a guy who was man enough for her. Smart, approachable...

Okay so he arrogant, proud, and supposedly evil. This sent Hermione's heart drop below her stomach. An empty feeling replaced it instead. She felt like howling...

"Hey," Draco said in a rushed voice.

Hermione stared at him with bloodshot eyes. Draco felt a little flabbergasted. "Have I done anything to hurt you?" His face looked so guilty and innocent...with his blond hair thrashing about on that face. It broke Hermione's already fragile heart—it was bound to.

For once, she did not care what the right thing to do was then. She just did what she had to. All she remembered after that was she had got up, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and crashed her lips onto his.

Draco was so taken aback that he raised his hands in the air at first. Slowly, he began to be in line with what was happening and smirked against her lips. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he deepened the kiss, like his life depended on it. Hermione ran her hands through his platinum blond hair like nothing else mattered. But he realized by the salty tears lining his lips that talking was necessary.

He broke off after a thousand moments brighter than sunshine. He cupped her chin and raised it so that her eyes levelled his. "Hey...what's wrong?"

Hermione looked flushed. "I'm sorry, it's just that...I feel insecure about whether you are the same horrible person as you were before, I don't want to regret things in my life again, I've made my mistakes, and I don't want this to be one of them because if it is, I don't think I can stand up and live again I...love you Draco."

Draco looked like he had been hit with a club. And Hermione didn't know what just escaped her lips. She just kept on crying and broke down on the grass bed wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face into them.

Draco was more shocked than he has ever been in his life. He really wanted to be the man Hermione could love...earnestly. He wanted to be good enough for her and make her feel that he deserved her. Realization dawned upon him.

Draco Malfoy had never, ever experienced love before, but if it's anything like the new feeling that commanded attraction, sacrifices, caring, friendship, protectiveness and selflessness all at once, then he sure one hundred percent of a heck loved Hermione Granger.

He sat down beside her, and wrapped his arms around the bundle she was in that sitting posture. Hermione seemed to sense the discomfort and wrapped her own arms around his.

"I-I love you too, Hermione," Draco whispered in her hair, "and I promise you won't regret it."

In that world of befalling disaster and the rapid rise of evil from the eye of the tornado, they were the happiest and luckiest people to live, as not many got lucky to feel true love and have it reciprocated from the same object of the feeling. Above them, God stared smiling at the two most unlikely people experiencing the most divine feeling of all, and wondering what a subtle yet successful matchmaker he was. Rain started to pour on their heads, but they didn't care. There was no umbrella, but their embrace eradicated the need for one. For the moment, no evil, no disaster was true, only them and love.

_D' you breathe the name of your saviour in your hour of need,  
And taste the blame if the flavor should remind you of greed?  
Of implication, insinuation and ill will, 'til you cannot lie still,  
In all this turmoil, before red cape and foil come closing in for a kill_

Come feed the rain  
'cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust  
Yeah, feed the rain  
'cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust

It's all a game, avoiding failure, when true colors will bleed  
All in the name of misbehavior and the things we don't need  
I lust for after no disaster can touch, touch us anymore  
And more than ever, I hope to never fall, where enough is not the same it was before

Come feed the rain...  
'cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust  
Yeah, feed the rain  
'cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust  
Yeah, feed the rain  
'cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust  
Yeah, feed the rain  
'cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust

Don't walk away, don't walk away, oh, when the world is burning  
Don't walk away, don't walk away, oh, when the heart is yearning  
Don't walk away, don't walk away, oh, when the world is burning  
Don't walk away, don't walk away, oh, when the heart is yearning...

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Oh just review!! I really need it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Yes, I own Harry Potter. And yes, I'm lying. But I do own the plot of this story and all the characters you are not familiar with.**

**A/N: This chapter, well, should explain the confusion as to what happened to Harry in the last chapter. Hopefully at least...**

**Sorry for the late update. I was hoping to update sooner but I have been really busy reading fanfictions (hehe...hehe... guilty nervous giggling).**

**Anyways, 24****th**** is when my report card comes put. Please please please pray, because in case I screwed up **_**real bad, **_**I might not be fortunate enough to encounter with this beautiful monitor and keyboard that often after school starts. Which means...**

**Late uploads.**

**And you don;t wnat that, do you? DO YOU??**

**Okay, maybe I should shut my rambling. Like you people even care.**

**On with the story then.**

Chapter 11- Disarray

Harry Potter was living a life of perplexity. The part of Voldemort that had been imbibed in him against his will kept on dominating his inherent goodness. He had wanted to finish this off...his life was not more important than the life of everyone in the entire world. His mother had taught him even by not being there that the greater virtue lay in selflessness. But behold...

Contrary to what he was thinking initially, Voldemort's aftershadow was not inventing pure evil in Harry without roots, rather it was inflating the specks of antagonism in him. After all, he was human, and saying that of course he had these small number of times when he had dipped his feet in pools of anger, jealousy, gluttony, vengefulness and all the mythical sins that were actually very much real. Only now, instead of taking his mind off these as he usually would, the newfound evil in him was feeding fuel to these, gradually invading the pureness and innocence within.

He was blinded—he truly was.

Now his better self no longer working, Harry Potter, alias the Dark Lord, began plotting. Although before he would put this to action, he was anticipating his faithful follower to return from the assigned task, and for the minion's survival, it better had been a success.

Harry was tapping his fingers in suave strokes on his wand when the Death Eater returned with a fearstruck face. With quivering lips and knees he professed, "Yes, Master. It's done."

Harry, though wasn't assured. He dipped his hand in the cauldron and closed his eyes.

"Are you sure that was Hermione Granger, Kingston?"

"Y-Yes," he stuttered.

"Just because she has frizzy brown hair, she is _Hermione Granger?" _Harry roared out.

"I-I..."

"Avada Kedavra," Harry muttered in a cool voice with his wand pointed at the failing follower. "Lestrange, take him away. I would not like a rotting corpse in front of me now, would I?" he said, conjuring up an evil sneer as an afterthought.

"I will perform the task right away, Master," Arabella Lestrange, the almost look-alike illegitimate daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy obliged.

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Draco Malfoy was living the life of perplexity.

_I just told her I loved her._

_Love is a strong word. Should I really have said that?_

But Merlin knew what came over him. He just knew that what he had said was not false to the slightest bit. Draco Malfoy was definitely not the kind of person who often relied upon instincts, but these were the instances when he just knew that it just was the way it was...with no logical reasoning behind it.

And now that his instinct was so active, he also had this feeling that a storm was approaching... a devastating one. But for the time being, he realized he was absolutely drenched and that he was up for facing some serious interrogation by Zabini. He shrugged his worries off for the moment and ran towards the Hogwarts, but only after turning around once to see the beaming Hermione.

_I really do love her..._

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Ron Weasley was living the life of perplexity. He had feelings for Hermione...he really did. He had butterflies flying around in his stomach whenever he encountered her.

_Maybe this is love..._

He looked out of the window to spot a couple kissing. He smiled to himself, imagining Hermione and himself in the situation. It would be perfect wouldn't it?

But to his horror, he figured out that the girl indeed was Hermione after all. He choked and swallowed back his tears, but he had yet to figure out who the guy was.

And the guy was...

_Draco Malfoy._

_Arch-nemesis. Death eater wannabe. Evil, conniving, insensitive son-of-a-bitch Draco Malfoy. _

Ron kicked his backpack on the floor as hard as he could, which skidded and hit the leg of a table only to knock over a frame that held a picture of him and...her (what symbolism, he snorted sarcastically and thought) and lay limp on his bed, crying his heart out. Life was so unfair, or else it would grant him Hermione in return of a lifetime of caring. Look what it had done.

_Draco Malfoy?!_

He clenched his fists and made his palms bleed from the tension. _Why??_

And there he was, a defeated teenage boy, crying himself to sleep; so typical of a girl, but him being so oblivious to this similarity, paying heed to nothing else now, bubbling with anger, jealousy and vengefulness. Only time would tell if those would get the better of him. Only time would tell...

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Hermione Granger was living the life of perplexity. She was known for the sense of rationality, yet there she was, daydreaming and doodling about little hearts and names of herself and the boy... no, man (that is correct, she thought) of her affections...no, love (Yes! She thought). Such symbols of silly girly foolishness...

But what she felt crossed beyond foolishness. Her instinct told her this had to love...

This just had to be.

Although he was an evil, conniving guy...who had always insulted her...

Heck, like she wanted to burden herself with the bitterness of the past!

So oblivious to the affections radiating for her from yet another boy, hurting him endlessly, she sat there in her reverie, watching Draco go and look at her with a beaming face.

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The Great Hall fell paralysed with the immensely piercing scream. Everyone dropped their conversations and looked up at each other. What could have happened? They ran over, following the echo of the scream. However, they were disappointed to not find anything. Some ran to find a staff member. Then suddenly, interrupting the course of activities, a Ravenclaw called in an apprehensive voice, 'Everyone, over here!"

Everybody rushed over to the muggleborn Ravenclaw named Larry Olstine, who was watching in front of him in horror. They looked to see a bushy brown-haired girl, eyes popping out.

"Death Eater," she managed to mouth before she fell limp into the grasps of death.

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Reviewwwww...pleaaaaaassseeee...And constructive criticisms are always welcome. **


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